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As the UK wakes up, the result of the US election is not yet certain.

With exit polls announced in different states at different times, many of the most important battleground states are still too close to call, according to Sky’s partner network NBC News.

Follow live: Early data makes Trump camp ‘optimistic’

Donald Trump’s camp may be confident, with the Republican holding a lead in some key states, but a clear winner is still a while off – these are the key moments of polling night so far.

A Fulton County election worker scans votes in Georgia. Pic: AP
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A Fulton County election worker scans votes in Georgia. Pic: AP

‘Russian’ bomb threats close polling stations

Polling stations in several of the seven battleground states were subject to bomb threats throughout Tuesday.

The security threats, which were all confirmed “non-credible” by the FBI, briefly stopped people from voting in Fulton County and DeKalb County, Georgia.

There were also hoaxes in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona, but voting was not impacted there.

Two counties in North Carolina reported brief polling station closures due to computer and printer issues.

Both Georgia and North Carolina said they would have to extend voting hours as a result – but ultimately the official statewide polls closed on time – with some allowed to continue voting beyond the deadline.

Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, claimed the fake bomb threats had come from Russian IP addresses.

“They’re up to mischief, it seems. They don’t want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Russian embassy in Washington described claims of interference as “malicious slander”, adding: “As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, we respect the will of the American people.”

Russia has been accused of interfering in other recent US elections, particularly the 2016 race that saw Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton.

Read more
What are the seven battleground states?
When will we know who’s won?
The experts’ views from key states

Internet claims a ‘fake Melania’ voted alongside Trump

When footage emerged on social media of Melania Trump voting alongside Donald Trump in Florida it was met with conspiracy theories it was not actually her.

Mr and Mrs Trump cast their ballots at Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach late on Tuesday afternoon.

But people online claimed it was a “fake Melania”, questioning her appearance and speculating that Mr Trump had used a body double instead.

One post on X, which garnered thousands of views, captioned a clip of the former first lady: “That’s not Melania. This is insane.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump walks after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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The Trumps at Barbara Mandel Recreation Center on Tuesday. Pic: AP

Sky News analysed the video and compared it with photos taken of Mrs Trump by the Reuters news agency – which show her by her husband’s side at the same precinct – proving that it was her.

It’s not the first time ‘fake Melania’ has trended online. Mrs Trump’s rare appearances on this year’s campaign trail – in stark contrast to the 2016 and 2020 races – sparked speculation the former president was using a lookalike to stand in for his wife at previous events.

Mrs Trump introduced her husband and X founder Elon Musk on stage at his rally at Madison Square Gardens late last month – and is reported to have taken part in private fundraisers, including one at Trump Tower in New York.

Florida fails to guarantee abortions – but other states succeed

A bid to guarantee abortion rights in Florida’s constitution failed to get enough votes.

The proposal on the ballot would have allowed women to terminate pregnancies up to 24 weeks. Currently, the law only allows them up to six weeks – before most women know they are pregnant.

It’s a victory for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis who has campaigned heavily against ‘Amendment 4’ with state-funded TV adverts and threats of criminal charges for TV channels that aired ads supporting it.

The amendment won majority support – but ultimately failed to get the 60% needed for it to become state law.

Pro-choice supporters who campaigned for Amendment 4 in Florida react as results are announced. Pic: AP
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Pro-choice supporters who campaigned for Amendment 4 in Florida react as results are announced. Pic: AP

Abortion was on the ballot in 10 states after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022.

In contrast to Florida, Democrat-safe states Colorado and New York were among those that voted to protect reproductive rights, NBC projected.

In New York, the constitution will now guarantee that people can’t be denied their rights based on “pregnancy outcomes” as well as race, religion, and other protected characteristics.

In Colorado, reproductive rights will become part of the state constitution – barring state authorities from trying to impose a local ban – and the current constitutional ban against public-funded abortions will be lifted.

According to an NBC exit poll, only 14% of voters ranked abortion as the most important issue of the election overall – compared to 35% who said democracy.

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Trump claims ‘massive cheating’ in Philadelphia

Donald Trump made more false claims of election fraud, saying there was “talk of massive cheating in Philadelphia” before polls closed there on Tuesday evening.

He said there was “law enforcement coming!” to investigate his claims in the Pennsylvania city – but there was no evidence of this.

Twenty minutes later he posted again on his Truth Social media platform that police were also out investigating electoral fraud claims in Detroit, Michigan.

The state’s district attorney Larry Krasner said there was “no factual basis in these allegations”.

“If Donald J. Trump has any facts to support his wild allegations, we want them now. Right now. We are not holding our breath,” he wrote on X.

Both Pennsylvania and Michigan are among the seven battleground states that historically decide who wins the White House.

Mr Trump filed more than 60 lawsuits over claims of voter fraud in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Washington DC in 2020.

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Donald Trump announces 30% tariff on imports from EU

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Donald Trump announces 30% tariff on imports from EU

Donald Trump has announced he will impose a 30% tariff on imports from the European Union from 1 August.

The tariffs could make everything from French cheese and Italian leather goods to German electronics and Spanish pharmaceuticals more expensive in the US.

Mr Trump has also imposed a 30% tariff on goods from Mexico, according to a post from his Truth Social account.

Announcing the moves in separate letters on the account, the president said the US trade deficit was a national security threat.

In his letter to the EU, he wrote: “We have had years to discuss our trading relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, trade Deficits, engendered by your tariff, and non-Tariff, policies, and trade barriers.

“Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal.”

In his letter to Mexico, Mr Trump said he did not think the country had done enough to stop the US from turning into a “narco-trafficking playground”.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said today that the EU could adopt “proportionate countermeasures” if the US proceeds with imposing the 30% tariff.

Ms von der Leyen, who heads the EU’s executive arm, said in a statement that the bloc remained ready “to continue working towards an agreement by Aug 1”.

“Few economies in the world match the European Union’s level of openness and adherence to fair trading practices,” she continued.

“We will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required.”

Ms von der Leyen has also said imposing tariffs on EU exports would “disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains”.

Meanwhile, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on the X social media platform that Mr Trump’s announcement was “very concerning and not the way forward”.

He added: “The European Commission can count on our full support. As the EU we must remain united and resolute in pursuing an outcome with the United States that is mutually beneficial.”

Mexico’s economy ministry said a bilateral working group aims to reach an alternative to the 30% US tariffs before they are due to take effect.

The country was informed by the US that it would receive a letter about the tariffs, the ministry’s statement said, adding that Mexico was negotiating.

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How ‘liberation day’ unfolded

Trump’s tariff threats and delays

On his so-called “liberation day” in April, Mr Trump unleashed “reciprocal tariffs” on many of America’s trade partners.

The US president said he was targeting countries with which America has a trade imbalance.

However, since then he’s backed down in a spiralling tit-for-tat tariff face-off with China, and struck a deal with the UK.

The US imposed a 20% tariff on imported goods from the EU in April but it was later paused and the bloc has since been paying a baseline tariff of 10% on goods it exports to the US.

In May, while the US and EU where holding trade negotiations, Mr Trump threated to impose a 50% tariff on the bloc as talks didn’t progress as he would have liked.

However, he later announced he was delaying the imposition of that tariff while negotiations over a trade deal took place.

As of earlier this week, the EU’s executive commission, which handles trade issues for the bloc’s 27-member nations, said its leaders were still hoping to strike a trade deal with the Trump administration.

Without one, the EU said it was prepared to retaliate with tariffs on hundreds of American products, ranging from beef and auto parts to beer and Boeing airplanes.

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Donald Trump plans to hit Canada with new tariff – while warning of blanket hike for other countries

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Donald Trump plans to hit Canada with new tariff - while warning of blanket hike for other countries

Donald Trump has said he plans to hit Canada with a 35% tariff on imported goods, as he warned of a blanket 15 or 20% hike for most other countries.

In a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the US president wrote: “I must mention that the flow of Fentanyl is hardly the only challenge we have with Canada, which has many Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers.”

Mr Trump’s tariffs were allegedly an effort to get Canada to crack down on fentanyl smuggling, and the US president has expressed frustration with Canada’s trade deficit with the US.

In a statement Mr Carney said: “Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of August 1.”

He added: “Canada has made vital progress to stop the scourge of fentanyl in North America. We are committed to continuing to work with the United States to save lives and protect communities in both our countries.”

Mr Trump has sent a series of tariff letters to 23 countries so far, including one putting a 50% tariff on Brazil in part for the ongoing trial of its former president Jair Bolsonaro for trying to stay in office after he lost the election in 2022.

Mr Trump was similarly indicted for his efforts to overturn his election loss in 2020.

The higher rates would go into effect on 1 August.

Shortly after Mr Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” tariffs on 2 April, there was a huge sell-off on the financial markets. The US president later announced a 90-day negotiating period, during which a 10% baseline tariff would be charged on most imported goods.

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But in an interview with Sky News’s partner network NBC News, Mr Trump said he plans to impose higher blanket tariffs on most US trade partners.

“We’re just going to say all of the remaining countries are going to pay, whether it’s 20% or 15%. We’ll work that out now,” he said.

He added: “I think the tariffs have been very well-received. The stock market hit a new high today.”

The US and UK signed a trade deal in June, with the US president calling it “a fair deal for both” and saying it will “produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income”.

Sir Keir Starmer said the document “implements” the deal to cut tariffs on cars and aerospace, adding: “So this is a very good day for both of our countries – a real sign of strength.”

Read more:
Trump fires tariff threats at more nations as EU ‘ready’
Palestinian activist detained by ICE suing Trump administration

The US president also teased a “major statement” he will make on Russia over its war with Ukraine.

“I’m disappointed in Russia, but we’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks,” he said.

“I think I’ll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday.”

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It comes as Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said a new round of talks between Moscow and Washington on bilateral problems could take place before the end of the summer.

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Palestinian activist detained by ICE suing Trump administration for $20m

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Palestinian activist detained by ICE suing Trump administration for m

A Palestinian activist who was detained for over three months in a US immigration jail after protesting against Israel is suing Donald Trump’s administration for $20m (£15m) in damages.

Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil have filed a claim against the administration alleging he was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite as the government sought to deport him over his role in campus protests.

The 30-year-old graduate student at Columbia University told Sky News’s lead world presenter Yalda Hakim being detained by ICE agents in March “felt like kidnapping”.

He described “plain-clothed agents and unmarked cars” taking him “from one place to another, expecting you just to follow orders and shackled all the time”, which he said was “really scary”.

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Mahmoud Khalil reunites with family after release

Mr Khalil said he was not presented with an arrest warrant and wasn’t told where he was being taken.

He said the detention centre he was taken to was “as far from humane as it could be” and “a place where you have no rights whatsoever”.

“You share a dorm with over 70 men with no privacy, with lights on all the time, with really terrible food. You’re basically being dehumanised at every opportunity. It’s a black hole,” he added.

Mr Khalil said he would also accept an official apology from the Trump administration.

The Trump administration celebrated Mr Khalil’s arrest, promising to deport him and others whose protests against Israel it declared were “pro-terrorist, antisemitic, anti-American activity”.

Mr Khalil said after around 36 hours in captivity he was allowed to speak to his wife, who was pregnant at the time.

“These were very scary hours, I did not know what was happening on the outside. I did not know that my wife was safe,” he said.

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‘Absolutely absurd allegations’

Mr Khalil said administration officials had made “absolutely absurd allegations” by saying he as involved in antisemitic activities and supporting Hamas.

“They are weaponising antisemitism, weaponising anti-terrorism in order to stifle speech,” he said. “What I was engaged in is simply opposing a genocide, opposing war crimes, opposing Columbia University’s complicity in the war on Gaza.”

A State Department spokesperson said its actions toward Mr Khalil were fully supported by the law.

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Asked about missing the birth of his son while he was in prison, Mr Khalil said: “I don’t think there’s any word that can describe the agony and the sadness that I went through, to be deprived from such a divine moment, from a moment that my wife and I had always dreamed about.”

Meanwhile, the deportation case against Mr Khalil is continuing to wind its way through the immigration court system.

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